![](https://assets.blabbermouth.net/media/panterathunderbeach2023_638.jpg)
Watch: PANTERA Plays First U.S. Concert In 22 Years At Florida's THUNDER BEACH MOTORCYCLE RALLY
May 7, 2023The reformed PANTERA played its first U.S. concert Saturday night (May 6) at the Thunder Beach Motorcycle Rally in Panama City, Florida. The performance marked PANTERA's first live appearance in its home country in 22 years — since July 25, 2001, when the band played at the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Washington as part of the "Extreme Steel" tour.
PANTERA's setlist for the Thunder Beach Motorcycle Rally included one song which hadn't been performed live since the band's comeback last year: "Suicide Note Pt. II", from PANTERA's 1996 album "The Great Southern Trendkill".
PANTERA's current lineup includes two surviving members from the band's classic formation, Philip Anselmo (vocals) and Rex Brown (bass),along with guitarist Zakk Wylde (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY) and drummer Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX).
Anselmo and Brown, along with Wylde and Benante, are headlining a number of major festivals across South America, Asia, North America and Europe and staging some of their own headline concerts. They will also support METALLICA on a massive North American stadium tour in 2023 and 2024.
According to Billboard, the lineup has been given a green light by the estates of the band's founders, drummer Vincent "Vinnie Paul" Abbott and guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, as well as Brown, who in 2021 said Wylde wouldn't tour with PANTERA if a reunion were to happen. It's unclear what changed his mind.
This past March, PANTERA headlined the 2023 "comeback" edition of Japan's Loud Park festival. The two-day "limited" event took place on March 25 at Intex Osaka in Osaka and March 26 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba City near Tokyo.
In December, PANTERA played seven shows in Mexico and South America.
Brown was forced to leave PANTERA's Latin American tour after testing positive for COVID-19. Filling in for him at some of the shows was CATTLE DECAPITATION bassist Derek Engemann, who also plays with Anselmo in both PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS and SCOUR.
Up until his passing, Vinnie remained on non-speaking terms with Anselmo, whom the drummer indirectly blamed for Dimebag's death.
Vinnie Paul and Dimebag co-founded PANTERA. When PANTERA broke up in 2003, they formed DAMAGEPLAN. On December 8, 2004, while performing with DAMAGEPLAN at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio, Dimebag was shot and killed onstage by a troubled schizophrenic who believed that the members of PANTERA were stealing his thoughts.
Vinnie passed away on June 22, 2018 at his other home in Las Vegas at the age of 54. He died of dilated cardiomyopathy, an enlarged heart, as well as severe coronary artery disease. His death was the result of chronic weakening of the heart muscle — basically meaning his heart couldn't pump blood as well as a healthy heart.
Holy crap! I never in a million years thought I’d get to see Pantera live, let alone up front against the fence where I...
Posted by Luke Hartsock on Saturday, May 6, 2023
You see us comin'
And you all together run for cover
We're taking over this town….and they did. Pantera with Zakk Wylde was epic at Thunder Beach Motorcycle Rally PANAMA CITY BEACH, Florida Law Tigers Florida Panhandle Law Tigers
#lawtigersfloridapanhandle #thunderbeach #pantera #zakkwylde #bikerrallyPosted by Law Tigers Florida Panhandle on Saturday, May 6, 2023
PANTERA,GOING ON LIKE RIGHT FKN NOW.
PANAMA CITY Beach.Posted by Michael Wagner on Saturday, May 6, 2023
See you on May 6th, Panama City, Fl! Thunder Beach Motorcycle Rally
Posted by Pantera on Friday, February 10, 2023
Comments Disclaimer And Information